Family members of Anup Roy, the 23-year-old BJP supporter in North Dinajpur district who allegedly died in police custody on September 2, have buried and not cremated his mortal remains while demanding a CBI probe into his death that has acquired a political colour.
Arrested on September 2 in connection with an earlier crime, Anup apparently fell ill and died within hours, the police calling it a death from cerebral haemorrhage and the family and the BJP accusing the police of torturing him.
For many in North Dinajpur district, the Anup case in Nandangram village of Itahar block is a rerun of the 2018 Daribhit case of Islampur subdivision that helped the BJP yield rich electoral dividends in the Lok Sabha polls.
In 2018, Rajesh Sarkar and Tapash Burman of Daribhit village died of gunshots during a protest over recruitment of teachers. Their families buried the bodies and demanded a CBI probe, alleging that the police had killed them, which the cops denied. The BJP backed the families and raised the issue often ahead of Lok Sabha polls. A CBI probe is awaited.
A political observer drew the parallels between the cases. “BJP leaders like Amit Shah had referred to the (Daribhit) deaths. It left Trinamul in an awkward spot as the BJP alleged that the police killed the youths. It was one of the main issues that helped the BJP win the Raiganj Lok Sabha seat. It seems the party has taken the same strategy again (with the Anup case), keeping in mind the Assembly polls.”
Anup had been accused of orchestrating a cash loot with the help of some others. Arrested, he died within a few hours at Raiganj Government Medical College and Hospital, and his post-mortem was held the same night. When the police said Anup died of cerebral haemorrhage, his family members and BJP leaders alleged police torture, and demanded a second post-mortem.
On a local court’s instruction, the second autopsy was done on September 5. The family received his body and buried it in Nandangram village.
On the burial, Anup’s mother Gita said: “We suspect he died of police torture. We feel the state police are trying to hush up their crime, and we want the CBI to investigate. If needed, the body can be exhumed. Family members and villagers are keeping round-the-clock watch over his grave.”
In Nandangram, it seems the BJP’s strategy to mount pressure on Trinamul and state police is working, as villagers seem disgruntled with the police.
“It is hard to believe a youth died of cerebral attack. There must be something wrong otherwise why would the police arrange post-mortem on September 2 night immediately after death and not wait for the morning? We want the truth. For that, investigation should be done by a central agency,” said Swapan Kumar Sarkar of Nandangram.
Biswajit Lahiri, the district BJP chief in North Dinajpur, said: “We had earlier seen how the state police shot dead two youths in Daribhit and now they killed another only because he is our supporter. We will continue our protests till the probe is assigned to CBI.”
Trinamul leaders rubbished the charges. “BJP is simply doing politics over the unfortunate death of a youth. Earlier, they had resorted to similar tactics over the death of an MLA (Debendra Nath Ray) and after two youths died in Daribhit. The police have already said why he (Anup) died. Probe is on based on the family’s complaint. We have full faith in the state police,” said Kanaialal Agarwala, district Trinamul president.